Of Katanas and Pink Hair
by Hammy Uchiha
Summary: [one shot] Sasuke sets off for his destined battle, but he runs into someone he didn't expect to


You probably all think I've died...but at last after several months of nothing, here's a little one shot for you. I wrote it as part of my creative writing class journal, but that's not really important.

**Note: I don't own Naruto**

Please Read and Review or Sai's abs may have to have a little chat with you, and they will call...trust me, they will...

**Of Katanas and Pink Hair**

**By Hammy Uchiha **

When Sasuke woke up he could tell it was going to be one of those days. The heavens had decided that today would be rainy and despite everything he had been taught and all the growing up he had been doing the last two years, there was nothing, absolutely nothing, he could do about the rain.

Even now, as he walked, his hand was on his rice hat to hold it on against the heavy rain and wind. Behind him Suigetsu and Karin, his lousy excuses for teammates, were arguing…again. And if one thing ticked Sasuke off like none other, it was people, who would not shut up.

Karin, her dark brown hair wet and limp, was pulling on her own rice hat, trying to pull it further down over her eyes.

"I hate rain,' she grumbled. Suigetsu, who wasn't far behind her, was wearing no hat to protect his light sea blue hair.

"Well, I like it," he replied.

"How can you like it?! It's all…wet!" she responded.

Their argument continued as Sasuke filtered out their voices. The rain brought back memories for him.

Not even good memories though.

_The day after Itachi had killed his family._

_The Sandaime's funeral._

_The day he had left Konoha._

"Don't you hate the rain, Sasuke-kun?" came Karin's whine from behind the Uchiha. Hate wasn't quite the right word. He loathed the rain, he wished it would never rain again, but he didn't quite _hate_ the rain. It did bring a rather calming effect to the raven haired young man.

"No," he replied simply.

"What?! How can you like it? Agh!" cried Karin in frustration.

"See? Sasuke's a cool guy, cool guys don't hate the rain…"

Their argument just went on and on and Sasuke tried to push their voices out of his head. He didn't feel like playing his usual peace-keeper self between those two today. Let them fight. He just couldn't bring himself to care right now.

Even as he walked, sandals squishing in mud, he began to put a larger distance between himself and the other two, without even thinking.

Soon he could be going home, to his own bed, back in the Uchiha complex, back to those people he could fight with, laugh with and get along with.

Those people.

Suddenly he bumped into another traveler and he stopped.

"Watch where you're going," spoke a female voice from beneath the rice hat she wore over her own head.

"There's an apology needed here," replied Sasuke. "From you." An angry gust of wind snatched the woman's hat, tearing it from her head and knocking off Sasuke's as well.

Sasuke contained his surprise with a step back when he saw the traveler's light pink hair and stoney green eyes.

He was taken aback by the coldness of those eyes, and for a second he allowed himself to take her in. The last time he andseen her, several months ago, he hadn't hardly even noticed her. Now, those green eyes, uncharacteristically cold, were staring him down.

"Uchiha-san,"

Something panged inside Sasuke's chest and then rang truer with a painful throb, He had been expecting her customary 'Sasuke-kun', but the stiff formality of her voice scared him. Scared him to his very core.

"Sakura,"

Sasuke was surprised that his throat even issued a sound.

"Hey, Sasuke, you want me to teach this girl to watch where she's going?" called Suigetsu from nearby, hand resting on the hilt of his great sword.

"No, stay out of this," said Sasuke.

"I don't know what you're doing, and I really don't care, but I'm going to bring you back," said Sakura, her face calm and collected. "By force if I have to."

"Don't waste your time," said Sasuke drawing his katana and giving it a threatening, experimental twirl. The Sakura Haruno he knew wouldn't be able to lay a finger on him, not even come close to doing so.

That Sakura Haruno he knew was dead.

Sakura cracked her knuckles. If she could land just one hit, she could knock him out.

He made the first move, it was a quick slice, which she easily dodged. Sakura's fist, chakra charged, swept forward, and missed just barely. Sasuke smirked. If that's how she intended to 'bring him back by force' she was more pitiful than he thought.6

Sakura cracked her knuckles. If she could land just one hit, she could knock him out.

He made the first move, it was a quick slice, which she easily dodged. Sakura's fist, chakra charged, swept forward, and missed just barely. Sasuke smirked. If that's how she intended to 'bring him back by force' she was more pitiful than he thought.

Sasuke's sword sliced forward again, this time closer, cutting through the ends of her silky pink hair as she missed the blade just barely. Sakura's fist returned the favor skimming his side as he dodged away. His face didn't show it, but inwardly the Uchiha cringed in pain, she had barely touched him, so why did it hurt this much?

He backed up, getting some distance, before preparing to jump back in. Sakura bent over to pick up her head band that had been knocked off with his last slice. Carefully, she tied it around her forehead, something she had only ever done for Ino, to show she was serious.

Sasuke, amused by her re-accessorizing, smirked slightly. In one swift movement she had drawn several shuriken stars and leapt at him. Sasuke easily repelled the stars with the blade of his katana. She ducked beneath the stars, a chakra powered punch headed for his face.

Sasuke dodged easily and meant to send her flying with a kick, but she latch onto his leg. Try as he might Sasuke couldn't shake her off.

"Get off!"

"No!" she protested even as he smashed her into the ground. "Not until you come back!" she choked eyes winced tight. Finally he knocked her off and Sakura was thrown to the mud.

Sasuke was glaring at her now. He slid his word back into its sheath.

"We ready to go?" asked Suigetsu with a yawn.

"Please Sasuke-kun?" asked Karin, hiding under a tree to get out of the rain.

"N…no," said Sakura pushing herself up. She was covered in mud and obviously hurting, but her green eyes were determined. "I'm n…not going to let you go," she whispered, drawing a kunai. Without even trying, Sasuke twisted both of her arms behind her back turning her kunai on her.

Sakura was panting, unable to even fight against him anymore.

"Suigetsu, Karin, go ahead," said Sasuke. "I'll catch up with you."

Even as they passed, Sakura struggled, several times trying to jab him with her chakra punches. Sasuke managed to hold her away from him, his ribs stung sharply to remind what would happen if he didn't. Finally Sakura went limp sinking to her knees in the mud as the rain poured down. Her forehead protector slid off and into the mud.

"You're such a jerk," she whispered quietly in a warbling voice as if she was trying to keep from crying. Sasuke let her go, she sank forward.

"Get out of here," he said. She turned and leapt at him again. Sasuke caught her by her shoulders.

"Go home."

"NO! Not unless you're coming with me!" she sobbed, her terrified green eyes were pleading with him. "And if not that, then take me with you!" she begged.

"I can't, I wont' let Itachi kill you too. Don't ask me to watch him kill someone I love."

Sakura's terrified green eyes did not believe him, _could not_ believe him.

"Don't ask me to, I won't watch that ever again," he said emptily, releasing her shoulders. She stumbled back, wiping the loose tears from her eyes.

"Don't cry," he whispered reaching out to wipe away her tears.

At that moment she could have easily broken several ribs, or an arm, could have rendered him unconscious and dragged him back to Konoha, but she didn't. She stood there in the rain, trying not to cry.

"I'll come home," he said to here. "When I've done what I have to do. And if I don't come back it's because one or both of us had to die and that was only as far as I was meant to go."

His hand slid away from her face and he brushed a damp strand of pink hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. Sasuke picked up his rice hat, wiping off the mud and settling it on his head, he headed off.

Sakura hadn't moved an inch and as he was about to pass her by she reached out to hug him. Her arms wrapping around him, she pressed her wet face to his chest.

The sudden warmth of her embrace surprised Sasuke and something fluttered within him and he was suddenly aware of his heart's pounding. His heart? It seemed he hadn't had a heart in a long time.

"Don't die," she whispered.

"I'll try not to," he replied in a voice just as soft. Gently he pushed her off of him. He turned to walk away.

"Later Sakura."

Sakura watched after him.

"I'll see you…Sasuke," she said.

Distantly Sasuke smiled, a smile not a smirk, and it was small but that was definitely a good place to start. Maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all.

**---------------------------------**

**i hope i'm not too rusty after a couple of months off the job, tell me what you think**

**-Hammy Uchiha**


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